The Quill
by shabam
Summary: “Look, James Potter. I don’t know if you remember seventh year and working on all those Head Boy and Girl projects together. I remember that I was in charge. This will be just like seventh year. I’m in charge, and you’re to follow directions. G
1. Story Guidelines

**_Summary:_**_ James, a doctor at St. Mungo's, saw it as a way to get his long-awaited raise. Lily, the work-preoccupied and somewhat bitchy "rising-star" reporter at the Daily Prophet, saw it as a step to a front-page article. What they both didn't know was what seemed like a simple news story would change both their lives forever. _**__**

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Ooh, it's all mine! Not. Duuh._

**_Author's Note: _**_This was one of those stories that just comes up to you and starts screaming at you to write it. This inspiration actually came from a picture I was drawing of L & J (yes, I do art...). Lily looked kinda bitchy, and for some reason James was giving her a quill. Thus, my storytelling brain went PING and this fic came. I should be working on my other fics, but...I'm evil. Mwahaha. Please bear with me on this one; I know this chappie's pretty boring, but it'll hopefully get better._

_So..._

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**The Quill**

Chapter One

By Lady Wildcat

St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries was never very busy on Monday mornings. Sure, there was the occasional scheduled appointment or broken limb in the emergency room--but that wasn't Dr. James Potter's branch.

James entered the employee lounge and filled up a mug with coffee. He took a sip and then grimaced.

"Godawful, as usual." Sirius Black entered the room and took a mug. "I need my caffeine, though, so I'll just have to shut off my taste buds."

"I think they use actual Muggle coffee," James said, scowling into his cup. "Had some of that stuff once, couldn't keep it down."

Sirius nodded as he sipped his. "Unfortunately, there's not much to do now except drink coffee._ He_ has been quiet for weeks,"

"That usually means the attack will be bigger."

There was a moment of silence. This hard fact had been confirmed by James' experience in the St. Mungo's Emergency Squad (MES) for six years. Every scene of destruction and pain after an attack by You-Know-Who had stayed in his memory since he had joined the squad at nineteen as an intern. After last month, his best friend Sirius had been placed on the squad with three other Ministry Aurors for protection.

Sirius spoke. "Hey, there's a meeting in ten minutes in the MES room. Get there early?"

"Sure." James gulped the rest of his coffee, made a face, and followed Sirius out.

They weren't very early. Twelve doctors--about all of the squad--were already there, and the other three Aurors were as well. James and Sirius took a seat next to Dr. Figg at one of the tables.

"What's this meeting about anyway, Bella?" Sirius asked.

"Dunno," said Bella. She tossed her shiny black hair over her shoulder, face creased into the pout she had inherited from her Spanish mother. As Sirius said, Bella was a knockout. "And Harold over there gave me the _wrong time _so I've been sitting here for a _damn half-hour_!"

"Sorry, Bella," called Harold. Just then the MES head Dr. David Johnson stepped to the front of the room, and everyone quieted. A few latecomers trickled in to find empty seats at the back.

"Okay, people," David called in his American accent. "The Daily Prophet has finally taken an interest in us. They are sending over a reporter and a photographer tomorrow, and the Sunday special on the fourteenth is going to be on _us._"

That caused a bit of a commotion. David waited until everyone quieted. "These people are going to stay with us for a week and a half, and you, boys and girls, are to be on your best behavior. _However,_ the Daily Prophet is requesting for their reporter to be teamed up with one of our doctors. This reporter will follow them around for the whole time, and this particular doctor will have to be a good example for all of us. I can guarantee you that if the Daily Prophet report is good, this doctor will be specially _recognized_ for their efforts, but it's going to take work, children. Good reports mean good _funding_, remember."

"Money makes the world go round," Sirius whispered. James nodded.

"The photographer is a friend of one of the doctors in the main hospital, so we don't have to worry about his room and board. The reporter, however, will room with one of you. Interested in being the babysitter for this reporter, please see me. Otherwise, just know that this person's gonna be tagging along with us. That's it."

Bella turned to James. "James! This is _it!_"

"What's it?"

"Your _raise!_"

"He didn't mention a raise..."

"Oh, come _on_." Bella rolled her eyes. "You haven't had a raise in pay since you stopped being an intern. Now here's David, with his 'the doctor will be specially _recognized_' crap, and you just sit there!"

"Hold on." James stood up. "You want _me_ to host the reporter?"

"Money, James..." Bella waggled her dark eyebrows. "You could move out of the MES dorms! Your own apartment!"

"I like the dorms."

"That's beside the point. In this world, James, money is _freedom._"

James sighed, then looked over at David. A few people were chatting with him, but they didn't seem to be very interested in the job. And his Gringotts account could always be fuller.

"Fine," he told Bella. He walked over to David, who excused himself and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, well," he said. "Dr. Potter. Interested in the job?"

"Yes, David. I was wondering, if I do a good job on this reporter--"

"You've been with us quite a while, haven't you James?" David interrupted. "Six years, correct? One as an intern, and no raises since then..."

"Yes..."

"You're incredibly hardworking, and caused no trouble yet." David smiled. "I think you got the reporter job. And I can guarantee very serious talks about raises if the article is good."

"Thanks, David," said James. "What do I need to know about this reporter?"

"Here's her description on this parchment." _Her? _"Be in the front courtyard at ten o'clock tomorrow."

David left, and James took a glance at the parchment. It was an excerpt from an owl.

The reporter we are sending over is Lily Evans, one of the top young reporters here at the Prophet. Miss Evans, as I'm sure your doctor will find, is dedicated to her job and very efficient. 

Great. A young woman reporter. James hadn't been on a date for a year. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He just hoped she could room with Bella; he didn't want to sleep on his couch.

***

Lily Evans' nails were purple that week. Lily took very good care of her nails. She liked seeing them shine on stacks of parchments she was carrying, and they looked nice with her ballpoints. Other than her nails, Lily was much too busy to concern herself with her appearance. Being one of the top reporters at the Daily Prophet didn't leave her much time for anything.

Right now, Lily's shoe heels were clicking impatiently on the linoleum floor of her office. Click, click, click.

She sighed and poked her head around the office divider. "Tess, what are these?" She held up a bunch of pristine quills. "And _where the hell are my ballpoints_?"

"Sorry, Lily." Her brown-haired secretary looked up. "Ed, the janitor..."

Lily groaned and hit her head against the divider, her short-cut copper curls covering her face. "How many times do I have to tell the man, _no quills_, doesn't understand Muggle pens..." She handed the quills to Tess. "Can I have my emergency pack?"

Tess handed her a new pack of Bic ballpoints and followed Lily back into her office. Lily opened the plastic and arranged the pens in the metal wire holder on her desk. "What's for me today?"

Tess opened the black planner. "Your story idea on the effects of You-Know-Who in Muggle schools is being considered for sometime next month, the article on the Ministry job cutbacks is being pushed up to tomorrow's paper, Charlie says call him, and Mr. Jenkins wants to talk to you."

"Jenkins? Really? I'll be with him in five."

"Good." Tess left. 

Lily picked up the phone and dialed Charlie's number. She'd had a phone line installed specifically to call her Muggle boyfriend, friends, and parents. Teaching Tess to answer it had been the chore. She listened to the phone ring, then her boyfriend picked up. "Charlie here."

"It's Lily."

"Hey."

"You called?"

"Yeah...confirming the dinner date on Saturday."

"It's done."

"Okay, pick you up at seven."

"Fine. Love you."

"Love, bye."

Lily hung up and checked her watch. About time for her meeting with the editor. She left her office, telling Tess to hold her calls (Tess was slightly confused, as she had not really grasped this odd Muggle term yet) and grabbing a cup of chocolate-cherry coffee on her way down the hall. She reached the large oaken door and knocked briskly. "Come in," said a voice.

She opened the door, and Mr. Jenkins, the graying editor of the Daily Prophet, greeted her. "Ah, Lily. Sit down, please."

Lily sat in the maroon chair provided. The editor fingered his mustache. "Let's get right to the point. I'd like you to do the Sunday pullout on the fourteenth."

Lily was surprised. All she had done so far were inside articles--the best one had been put on the second page. The Sunday pullout was the next step up to a front-page article. "I'm on it, sir," she said, pulling out her blue notepad and a ballpoint.

"The article's on the St. Mungo's Emergency Squad." Lily scribbled _St. Mungo's _on her notepad. Jenkins could not help staring at the ballpoint; uncanny how she never used those quills he had Edward set out. Ah well; Evans was one of his best rising writers, and if he had to put up with her "pens", then he would. "St. Mungo's Emergency Squad, or MES, is always the one on the scene when You-Know-Who attacks, and they're the ones who've healed the victims. You'll be assigned to a doctor. You will live with them for a week and a half, report on their actions, and go everywhere they go.

"Here's the guidelines for the pullout." He handed her a sheet of parchment. "You'll be assigned to a photographer who will show up at St. Mungo's with you. The report is due on Friday the 14th. They're expecting you at St. Mungo's at ten sharp tomorrow; don't delay." He turned back to the papers on his desk, and Lily knew she was dismissed.

Back in her office, Lily looked over the guidelines for the story. It was an opinion piece, which didn't suit her--she preferred straight facts with no emotions involved. However, the pullout was four pages long, which gave her a bit of room to work with.

She sipped her lukewarm coffee and thought about the angle she'd take. The fact that it was an opinion piece meant that she'd have to be a bit sappy--portray the doctors as heroes, the people who take the brunt of You-Know-Who's work, win the heart of the public, blah blah blah. It didn't particularly interest her, but hey, that was life. She picked up the phone and called Charlie to cancel their date.

***

**_Author's Note:_**_ Hey hey! Like I said, it's boring now, I know, but the second chappie should be slightly more interesting...You like? Review!_

_Best,_

_Lady Wildcat_


	2. Lily...Ms. Evans...Lily...

**_Summary:_**_ James, a doctor at St. Mungo's, saw it as a way to get his long-awaited raise. Lily, the work-preoccupied and somewhat bitchy "rising-star" reporter at the Daily Prophet, saw it as a step to a front-page article. What they both didn't know was what seemed like a simple news story would change both their lives forever. _**__**

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Gee, I wonder whose all this stuff is..._

**_Author's Note: _**_Not too many reviews for the first chappie, but hey!! THANK YOU to all of yous who reviewed!! (Thanks at end of chapter.) So this chap should be a tad better...sorry, it's shorter tho...ick, I just realized how short it is, SORRY!!_

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**The Quill**

Chapter Two

By Lady Wildcat

He was late. Lily sighed and glanced at her watch again, clicking her heels on the pavement next to her suitcase. That damn photographer. He'd been told to be outside the Prophet building at 9:50; it was 9:55. They were supposed to Apparate to St. Mungo's together. But if he was _late, _she was going to be _mad._

Frustrated, she whipped off her sunglasses and dug into the pocket of her practical black robes. She retrieved a small emerald-green notepad, which she flipped open and tapped with her wand. "Record." She tapped it again. "Nine fifty-six a.m., Friday the thirtieth of April. Outside the Prophet." As she spoke, her words were recorded on the pad. "Still waiting. Damn photographer _still_ isn't here."

"Actually, the damn photographer _is_ here," said a cheery voice behind her. Lily tapped the pad again and turned. A skinny young man stood behind her, with a suitcase in one arm, a camera in the other, and a mop of brown hair in his eyes. "Gus Fletcher. Actually, it's Mundungus, but that's a mouthful."

"I'm Lily Evans," she said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice. "Can we _please_ get going? We need to be punctual for this." She replaced her dark green sunglasses on the bridge of her nose.

"Right." Unfazed by her icy welcome, Gus dug out his wand and followed Lily in Apparating.

They appeared a couple miles away, in a section of Diagon Alley quite near to Hyde Park in the Muggle London. Lily spoke into her pad again. "Nine fifty-seven a.m. Outside St. Mungo's. A very large white mansion, green trees, iron fence, gravel walkway." She motioned to Gus and they crunched up the gravel to the courtyard, Lily still talking. "On about five or so acres. Three separate buildings, could be dormitories or warehouses."

Two people stood on the stoop of the hospital. One, in the white doctor robes, was tall and thin, with glasses and unruly black hair. The other was tall as well, yet shorter and more well-built, with long dark brown hair. His robes were dark green. They both looked vaguely familiar, the taller one more so.

The one with glasses spoke. "Miss Evans?"

"Ms., please."

"Ms. Evans," he said. "My name's James Potter, and on behalf of the MES..."

"Who's your sidekick?" Lily looked at the man in green. 

He bristled slightly. "Sirius Black, Auror."

"Hm," said Lily. She turned to Potter. "Now, Mr. Potter--" She frowned and stopped. Potter. Black. Even more familiar than their faces. "Excuse me, but did you two go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes..." James frowned. "Wait...Lily? Lily _Evans?_"

"Right. Hogwarts, graduating class of '76."

"You were--"

"Head Girl."

"And I was--"

"Head Boy."

"Wow," said James. He was totally at a loss. Lily Evans, the pretty, straight-A student...he remembered her. Vaguely. Their relationship had been polite and slightly cold. Well, that was Lily.

Sirius, evidently, wasn't barred by politeness. "Lily _Evans?_ The hottest girl in our year? Man, Lily, I had the _biggest _crush on you in third year..."

She just glared at him. Even with sunglasses her glare could freeze a fire.

Sirius was unfazed. "Who's the photographer?"

"Gus Fletcher. You don't know me, but I know quite a bit about you."

"Really?" Sirius put his hands in his pockets. "How's that?"

"Well, I'm Remus' friend, and..."

He didn't need to speak any further. "Really! So Remus is the doctor who knows the photographer!" He slung an arm across Gus' shoulder and picked up his suitcase. "We will see you later, Jamesie old pal. So Gus, you know we're practically _brothers..._"

_Feed me to the lioness, Sirius._ James sighed and looked at Lily. She was talking into a green pad. "--Potter, tall, glasses, black hair, tad underweight, little geeky--"

"Hey..."

Lily ignored him. "By some odd quirk, known through school." She tapped the pad with her wand, and turned to James expectantly. 

He cleared his throat. "Lily...Ms. Evans...Lily..." He laughed nervously. Lily didn't move. "Should we go to the MES headquarters, and you can start your interview there?"

Lily took off her sunglasses, and James saw her vibrant green eyes. Now he recognized her even more. 

"Look, James Potter," she said, leaning in. "I don't know if you remember seventh year and working on all those Head Boy and Girl projects together. I don't remember much, but I do remember that _I was in charge._" She tapped his chest with a purple fingernail. "This will be just like seventh year. _I'm _in charge, and _you're _to follow directions. Got it?"

James nodded. There was silence, and then Lily stooped to pick up her suitcase. "Why don't you show me around the hospital, and then we can have our first interview."

It wasn't a suggestion; it was a command. James nodded, and led Lily to the door. He was relearning how to act around her, and it wasn't going to be easy.

***

**_Author's Note: _**_THANK YOU: lemon spritzer (first reviewer! I'll update as much as possible!), Bon (hee hee), jamie (glad it's original), The Infallible Teller (gonna continue), Lily's friendJess (here's the next chappie!), Myxie (glad ya liked the first), DreamCloud53 (I'm sooo sorry about TFI chap. 6, I have writer's block for it. I'll try and update soon!), Nobody In Particular (thanks!), aand Sammi (I WILL continue!)._

_See ya in chap. 3!_

_Best,_

_Lady Wildcat_


	3. I-Hate-You-Unless-I'm-Interested

**_Summary:_**_ James, a doctor at St. Mungo's, saw it as a way to get his long-awaited raise. Lily, the work-preoccupied and somewhat bitchy "rising-star" reporter at the Daily Prophet, saw it as a step to a front-page article. What they both didn't know was what seemed like a simple news story would change both their lives forever. _**__**

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Guueess whose this all is? Not mine!_

**_Author's Note: _**_Sorry for the lack of updates. I was in Maine for two weeks in the wilderness without my computer. In this chappie, I gave James a tad more backbone and changed the rating forr...language! Yep._

_The story eats reviews. Feeding the story is allowed and appreciated._

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**The Quill**

Chapter Three

By Lady Wildcat

"Well, that's about it." James and Lily were standing once again in the hospital foyer. The tour was over, and it had taken nearly two hours. Lily hadn't said a word except for talking into her pad. By now, James was itching to rip the thing up—although Lily would probably kill him if he did. Literally.

"I need the bathroom." She stalked off in the direction of the public restrooms.

"Hey, James." Marlene, the receptionist, waved him over to her desk.

"Hi Marlene." He leaned on the wood desk, rubbing his forehead.

"Who's the girl? She looks...nice."

"Ha," James said wearily. Marlene, a slightly overweight forty-five year old with dimples, was always trying to set James up with a different girl every week—and if James said no, which he almost always did, Marlene would resort to her niece Jennifer. James supposed that a pretty female companion had thrown Marlene off track. He continued. "Her name's Lily Evans, and she's from the Prophet."

"Oh, the reporter? D'you think I could be in a picture?"

"Possibly...Sirius has abducted the photographer, though."

"Well, Miss Evans looks nice...why don't you ask her out?" Marlene winked. "She's very pretty."

"But not exactly nice," James countered. "I know her from Hogwarts."

"Old flame, eh?"

"No, not really...old Head Girl. Old _boss._ She's...harsh."

"Oh, playing hard-to-get."

"More like playing I-hate-you-unless-I'm-interested. And believe me, she's _not _interested."

***

The soap in the women's room was purple. To match the bathroom, Lily supposed. The soap was only a couple shades lighter than her nails, and it soon dissolved into baseball-sized bubbles that floated lightly about the room, drifting into the open doors of the lavender stalls.

That was annoying. Lily sighed, dried her hands on the fluffy purple disposable towel, and took out her wand. She zapped the bubbles, and they all popped simultaneously. There. That was better.

Lily looked in the mirror and fiddled with her hair, not really thinking about the task. That James Potter...she remembered him as being considered a prankster and a goofoff. His friend Black too. He'd gotten a bit more serious with adulthood, but if he goofed off on _her _article then he'd pay.

Lily grinned slightly as she exited the bathroom. If her memory served her, James had been a little scared of Lily Evans. And if the fear had worn off—well, he'd _relearn_ how to be scared of her.

James was leaning on the front desk, talking to an overweight woman. By the way they shut up when she came into view, she knew they'd been talking about her. She chose to ignore that fact.

"Potter," she said as she approached them. "Start the interview. Where d'you live?"

"In the on-site dorms..."

"Oh, Miss Evans?" The woman—Lily supposed she was a secretary—leaned forward eagerly. 

"_Ms. _Evans."

"Ms. Evans, welcome to St. Mungo's! My name is Marlene." She beamed at Lily.

A fame-seeker. Like always. Lily allowed the woman a sour smile before turning to James. "Let's _go, _we don't exactly have all day."

"Fine, fine." James set off for the doors. 

As Lily followed, she could hear Marlene muttering. "Frigid bitch." But Lily was all too used to that comment by now to react.

***

"This is it?" 

Behind her, James shifted uncomfortably. "I tried to straighten it up before you came."

"Well." Lily surveyed the area. Papers and coffee cups were strewn all over the tiny living room, and the scratched, graying table looked like it had been cleaned about a year ago. Some sort of brown and tan hair littered the sofa.

James swept ahead of her, gathering the coffee cups and blowing on the table to raise a cloud of dust. "Sit down, make yourself comfortable." He poured the rest of a glass of water into a wilting plant on top of the bookshelf.

Lily chose the armchair—whatever thing Potter kept that shedded like hell, it seemed to like the sofa better—and sat down tentatively on the faded brown corduroy. She peeked into the kitchenette, where her host was busy stacking cups in the overloaded sink. She took out her pad. "Twelve-oh-seven P.M. In Potter's apartment. Extreme disarray, looks like a tornado hit it. Bad furniture, dying plant."

"It's not _dying,_" James protested from the kitchenette. "It's _struggling._" 

Lily ignored this comment. God, what a filthy place. She flicked a speck of dust off of her robes. 

"Hungry?" James was looking in the fridge. "I've got some sandwich stuff here, the dining hall food is horrible—"

A very large brown _thing _suddenly burst out of the door opposite Lily. It came charging towards her, jumped onto her lap, and started licking her enthusiastically. "God, Hairy, _off!" _James pulled the thing down, where it sat panting happily up at Lily.

"Fucking _dog_..." She glared at it. All she could see was that it was big, brown, shaggy, and far too cheerful for her. "_What_ did you call it?"

"Hairy. His name's Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, from the Muggle poet, but Sirius calls him Hairy Henry. Hairy stuck."

Wonderful. Her subject owned a monster named after a poet. Just what she needed. Lily rubbed her forehead. "Listen, Potter, put your dog out of the way and let's get started."

"He'll behave now." He collapsed onto the couch with a creaking of springs, and Hairy laid his enormous front paws into Potter's lap.

"Fine." Lily tapped her pad, muttered "Record," and set it on the creaky table. She dug around in her bag for a cigarette, and finding one, lit up with her wand, taking a deep breath in.

She was about to conjure an ashtray when she felt two fingers pull the cigarette out of her mouth. "Uh-uh." Potter crushed her cigarette under his shoe.

"What the _hell—_what was that for?"

"No smoking in here," James stated firmly. "Not in the dorm, not in the hospital."

"Dammit, why _not?_"

"Horrible for your health, plus the smoke can harm types of life support systems in the hospital. I've seen pictures of blackened lungs, and it's not pretty."

Lily glared at him. Slowly, deliberately, she took another cigarette out of her bag and lit up.

"Hey! Did you _hear_ me?" He grabbed the cigarette and crushed it. Then he leaned over, took her bag, and began to sort through it.

"WHAT THE—" Lily cursed, rather loudly, and grabbed the black leather handles. "POTTER, YOU—"

Too late to call him the several nasty names she'd had in store. He'd gotten all of her cigarettes and rose to throw them away. "You'll thank me someday," he said as he rounded a corner to the back of the apartment. A moment later, a toilet flushed, and Potter came back, brushing his hands. He sat down and patted Hairy, a slightly smug smile on his face.

"Fuck you," Lily said icily.

"Thank you. Now, I believe you wanted to do this interview?"

Lily made a low sound of annoyance and got out her list of questions. She looked sulkily at her host. "How long have you been on the MES?"

***

An hour later, Lily had gotten to the end of her list. "Okay, _end _this," she mumbled as she tapped the pad. Potter got up and stretched as she looked through the notes. The interview had been fairly normal, routine, ho hum. Not much to work with for her whole "doing a service for the public" approach, but she was confident that she'd get more later.

"I'm really hungry." James strolled over to the kitchenette. 

Lily dug in her bag for her sunglasses and flipped them open. She put them on and stood, straightening her immaculate gray robes. "I'm going out for lunch."

"Wait." James poked his head out of the doorframe, a sandwich in one hand. "Aren't I supposed to follow you?"

"You don't have to follow me _everywhere," _she protested. Maybe she could get a smoke while she was out. She got out her wand and started the Apparation spell.

"Wait!" Just as Lily Apparated, James grabbed onto her wrist. They both Apparated into the coffeehouse Lily had chosen.

She shot him a glare. Coming along with her had been a stupid idea. Very stupid. Because now she was annoyed. And when Lily Evans was annoyed, everyone had better watch out.

***

**_Author's Note:_**_ Yay, chappie 3!! Reviiieeeww!!_

_Best,_

_Lady Wildcat_


	4. When Hell Freezes Over

**_Summary:_**_ James, a doctor at St. Mungo's, saw it as a way to get his long-awaited raise. Lily, the work-preoccupied and somewhat bitchy "rising-star" reporter at the Daily Prophet, saw it as a step to a front-page article. What they both didn't know was what seemed like a simple news story would change both their lives forever. _**__**

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Nothing's mine. Don't sue me. You won't get anything, except maybe some nickels from the cracks in my room floor and my Aragorn poster. (Don't take my poster, PLEASE!!!)_

**_Author's Note: _**_Oy. I am such a terribly horrible author for not updating this. It's all school's fault, as this year is evil and Honors Geometry absolutely sucks. Gaah. But I am making an effort to update more!_

_Anyhoo, I think that this fic is my new favorite out of all the ones I'm writing, so look for a lot more updates! This chapter's pretty long, as I wrote it on the car ride up to Vermont on President's Day Weekend. Enjoy!_

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**The Quill**

Chapter Four

By Lady Wildcat

They were in a small café. People sat at the many wooden tables and chairs, and the counter was black marble with drink rings all over the top. If James had glanced outside, he would have seen that they were at the very edge of wizard London--actually, one or two Muggles could be seen milling about outside, convinced that they were on a particularly quiet back street.

Not that James was paying attention to the scenery, of course. He was trying to avoid Lily's wrath--which was exactly the right word for it.

She was sitting two stools away from him, which was as far away from him as possible in the crowded café. Every so often, she would give him a taste of her dagger-sharp glance. He was concentrating very carefully on the remains of his sandwich and the decaf he had ordered.

The server came up to her. "What'll it be today?"

She glanced at James and scowled. "Gimme a large black."

The attendant whistled. "No milk, sugar? Just all-out caffeine?"  
  


"Frank. I need it today."

"Alright." Frank looked over to James. "So, what happened to Charlie?"

"Charlie?" Lily blinked at the mention of her boyfriend's name. "Charlie and I are still together...why'd you ask?"

"Well, it just seems like that you and him--" he handed her her mug and nodded over at James "--are a couple."

"Has my hatred of him not been made apparent, or does he need this coffee in his face?"

"Sorry." Frank held up his hands in defiance. "You didn't think Charlie was so great either when you guys met here."

"Well, this is different." Lily rubbed her eyes. "He's the MES doctor I'm assigned to. We knew each other in Hogwarts. I'm pretty sure he's scared of me."

"Come to think of it, I did notice his knees shaking a little when you two Apparated in here."

She nodded and sipped at her coffee, then glanced back at James again. He had stopped staring intently at his sandwich and was flirting subtly with the girl next to him, whom Lily happened to recognize from her office. She drew up a name--Sarah Lewis--one of the Prophet's top reporters. Good writer. But, obviously, good writing skills did not have any bearing on taste in men, because Sarah was blushing and smiling and flirting right back.

Then again, James wasn't exactly bad-looking. In fact, he was rather handsome if one put him in perspective. Not that Lily cared.

Abandoning her coffee with one last gulp, she stalked over towards James and tapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go." 

He turned, annoyed. "Lily--" she noticed his indecision over what name to use for her had vanished "--can't you see I'm _talking to someone?"_

"Yes. And I'm saying that we need to get as much interview time in as we can."

"Then why'd you come _here _in the first place, not exactly quality interview time, is it--"

"Lily Evans?" Sarah interrupted their bickering. "From the Prophet?"

"Yes. Sarah Lewis, right?"

"Right. Listen, Lily, I've read some of your work. Really really good. Excellent job with that article on the Ministry cutbacks."

Lily allowed Sarah a cool smile. "Thank you. Now, if you could kindly finish flirting with the subject of my next article. Potter, _now._"

"Fine." He stood up and faced Sarah. "Listen, you know, if we ever run into each other again, coffee's on me..."

"_Potter."_

James, catching her death glare, quickly followed Lily out of the café. It was incredibly sunny outside, and the sun was getting in her eyes. Lily fished around in her bag for her sunglasses, deaf to James' complaints. 

  
"What the _hell _was that? Don't you understand that normal human conversations are not to be interrupted?"

She found her sunglasses. "That," she said as she flipped them open, "was flirting. With my co-worker."

"So what if I was flirting? Flirting is a form of normal human conversation! Do you know how long it is since I've been on a date?"

"No. Please don't tell me, as it will make you seem more pathetic than you already appear to be." She started to walk down the busy street.

"Is there _anyone_ you're not a bitch to?"

"Yes. My parents. My boss. My boyfriend. My secretary. My cat."

"You know, if I include your parents as two people, I need two hands to count all those."

"Potter, I am just as enthusiastic about this article as you are. But we'll just have to grin and bear it if we each want our just rewards."

"Just rewards?"

"Front-page article for me, raise for you."

"How'd you know about my raise?"

She sighed. "I'm a reporter. I notice things. Now if you could get your arse in gear we might make it back to St. Mungo's on time for my introductory meeting."

***

"Laa-aate," Bella whispered to Sirius.

"They'll be here." The meeting room was packed with MES members and doctors, curious to meet the reporter who would, hopefully, bring the hospital some much-needed attention. Remus had reclaimed Gus from Sirius and was catching up at the front of the room.

"They're still laaa-aate."

"Tell me, Bells, how old are you again?"

Bella flipped her dark, shiny hair over the chair back, ignoring the question. "So you say he knows this Lily person from school?"

"Yes, she was Head Girl, remember?"

"Oh, the ice-bitch. Right. But, d'you think they're taking some time to--_catch up?_ You know, doing a little romancin'?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Bella, the day that Lily and James are attracted to one another is the day that Hell will freeze over." 

"Fine, I'll believe you."

Just then, David stepped to the front of the room. "Okay, people. It appears that James and Ms. Evans are deciding to take their sweet time getting here, so we'll just have to start this thing now. Dr. Lupin, if you could introduce our photographer?" 

Remus stood up. He was a fine-boned young man with honey-brown hair and friendly gray eyes. Right now, those eyes were shining animatedly. "Everyone, this is Mundungus Fletcher--stand up, Gus." The photographer stood, waving cheerily. "He's my cousin."

"Let's remember our manners," David chided. "Everyone say 'Hi, Mr. Fletcher."

"Gus, please," said Gus.

"Okay, 'Hi, Gus.'"

"Hi, Gus," chorused the room.

The door at the back creaked open. Bella turned and saw James entering, followed by a small red-haired woman in sunglasses and professional-looking gray robes.

"Ah, Dr. Potter," David drawled. "So glad you could join us. Could you do us the honor of introducing your guest?"

"Um, okay." James cleared his throat. "This is Lily Evans." The woman took off her sunglasses, and the room could see her cold green eyes as she calculatingly looked them over. "She's the reporter for the Prophet and, we, um, were Head Boy and Girl together in school."

"Previous experience, eh?" David smiled. "Okay, everyone say 'Hi, Lily.'"

"It's 'Ms. Evans.'" 

"Right, then, 'Hi, Ms. Evans.'"

"Hi, Ms. Evans." But the response was considerably less warm than Gus' had been. 

***

Later on, when Gus was busy snapping candid shots of the various MES rooms and doctors and Lily was snagging unfortunate individuals for interviews, James cornered Bella. "Bels, can you do me a favor?"

"Depends."

"Well, uh..." James glanced over at Lily, who had nabbed Sirius and was drilling him thoroughly. He didn't look too happy about it, either. James continued. "See, Lily needs a place to stay, and considering my apartment and the awkward circumstances between us--"

"_Oh, _no." Arabella shook her hands fervently. "No. _No. _You are _not _saddling me with that--that--" She said something in Spanish. 

"Please, Bella? Where else will she stay?"

"She can sleep in the cafeteria for all I care--you could sleep on your couch and give her your bed--"

"Arabella." James took her shoulders and shook them gently. "Please do this. For me. It's just for a week and a half."

"Week and a half of hell--"

"_Please, _Bella...I'll do anything you want me to--"

"Well..." She paused. "Anything anything?"

"Yes, anything within reason."

Bella pouted. "I suppose so. I'll tell you what I want you to do at the end of the week."

"Thank you! I love you, Bells!"

"Yeah, you better." 

***

Lily finished interviewing Black and was looking around. Gus had taken James for some portrait photos under various leafy green trees--"for scenery." She was just about to review the notes in her book when someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Ms. Evans?"

She turned and saw a very beautiful Spanish-looking woman behind her. Lily looked over the tops of her sunglasses. "Yes?"

"I'm Dr. Arabella Figg." Not a very Spanish name. Lily tentatively shook the outstretched hand. "I'm a friend of James'."

"Yes, and?"

Dr. Figg rolled her liquid-brown eyes. "Listen, he asked me if I would let you stay in my apartment for this whole week and a half. I know what his apartment looks like, and believe me, you don't want to sleep there."

"I've been in it. I don't like dogs."

"Then you do not want to stay in the same room as Hairy," said Dr. Figg. "I love him and all, but he does slobber. Anyway, my place is much neater--but one rule: you have to like cats."

"I like cats. I have one at home."

"Good." Arabella smiled. "Then let's get your stuff, and you can come to my place."

***

**_Author's Note:_**_ Okeydoke, another chapter gone by! Wow, that was very long for me. Feel privileged. If yeh like, review please!_

_Best,_

_Lady Wildcat_


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